Reel for cartridge-loading motion picture projectors



Dec. 30, 1969 E. 5. ME 3,486,710

REEL FOR CARTRIDGE-LOADING MOTION PICTURE PROJECTORS Filed May 23, 19682 Sheets-Sheet 1 EDWARD S. McKEE INVENTOR.

BY Mam fiMQM ATTORNEYS Dc. 30, 1969 5, McKEE 7 3,486,710

REEL FOR CARTRIDGE-LOADING MOTION PICTURE PROJECTORS Filed May 23, 1968v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EDWARD 8. Mc KEE INVENTOR.

QWCQ/RJCQ WMOM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,486,710 REEL FORCARTRIDGE-LOADING MOTION PICTURE PROJECTORS Edward S. McKee, Rochester,N.Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporationof New Jersey Filed May 23, 1968, Ser. No. 731,463 Int. Cl. B65h 75/02US. Cl. 242-71.8 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A reel adapted tobe contained in a cartridge and to be mounted on a spindle of a motionpicture projector comprises a hub having a bore tapered inwardly fromthe ends of the hub towards its center, such that the reel can orientitself within the cartridge obliquely with respect to the projectorspindle.

Cross-references to related applications Reference is made to thefollowing commonly assigned copending US. patent applications: Ser. No.679,587, entitled Spindle for Supporting Reels or Spools for Rotation,filed Oct. 16, 1967 in the name of Leslie J. Bunting, now US. Patent3,417,939, issued Dec. 24, 1968; Ser. No. 685,616, entitledCinematographic Pro jectors or the Like and Cartridges for UseTherewith, filed Nov. 24, 1967 in the name of John J. Bundschuh et al.;Ser. No. 681,295 entitled Automatic Latching Mechanism and Film GuideArm for a Cartridge-Loaded Motion Picture Projector, filed Nov. 7, 1967in the name of Leslie J. Bunting, now US. Patent 3,394,901, issued July30, 1968; and Ser. No. 731,561, entitled Cartridge, filed May 23, 1968in the name of John J. Bundschuh.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to spindlesfor motion picture projectors and to reels adapted to be supported bysuch spindles. More specifically, the invention relates to such reelshaving a capacity for 200 or more of film and to spindles adapted tosupport such reels on a projector or the like.

While useful with different types of projectors, the present inventionhas particular utility on cartridge-loading motion picture projectorsadapted to receive and support a cartridge containing a reel ofprocessed motion picture film.

It is well known to provide a projector with a spindle comprising arotatable sleeve mounted on a fixed shaft secured to a vertical wall ofthe projector. It is further known to rotatably support a supply reel onsuch a spindle sleeve and to rotatably drive the reel and spindle sleeveduring operative cycles of the projector. Such a spindle and reel aredescribed and illustrated, for example, in commonly assigned US. Patent3,417,939, issued Dec. 24, 1968 in the name of Leslie J. Bunting. Insaid Bunting application the rotatable sleeve includes means for axiallylocating the reel with respect to the projector wall, which meanscomprises a shoulder at one end of the sleeve adjacent the projector andone or more detent members at the other end of the spindle remote fromthe projector. The reel mounting sleeve is prevented from moving axiallywith respect to the shaft by a wire clip or other suitable means and,therefore, the shoulder and detent on the spindle sleeve to locate thereel with respect to the projector as well as with respect to thesleeve.

While such prior art reels have proven satisfactory for their intendedpurpose on the unenclosed-reel type of 'projector, certain modificationshave been found necessary to adapt such spindles to thecartridge-loading type of projector wherein the cartridge is latched andlocated against a wall of the projector independently of the spindle,and the reel, which is mounted on the spindle, must be located withrespect to the cartridge as well as the projector. In order to adaptsuch prior spindles to the special problems of cartridge-loadingprojectors, it was first attempted to simply eliminate the means whichlocated the reel (e.g., the shoulder and detent means) of previouslyknown reels. With this modification, the reel would be free to moveaxially with respect to the spindle sleeve and could thereby properlylocate itself within the cartridge. Thus, the cartridge would take overthe function of the locating means previously on the spindle, and, atthe same time, the reel would assume the best running position withinthe cartridge where the frictional resistance between the reel flangesand cartridge Walls would be at a minimum.

The above modifications of previously known spindles would appear to besatisfactory, and, in fact, have proven to be at least adequate onprojectors adapted to receive the smaller cartridges, such as thosewhich contain 50 or lOO-foot reels.

However, on projectors adapted to receive larger cartridges, such asthose which contain 200 or 400-foot reels, certain detrimental effectswhich are exaggerated or compounded by the increased size and Weight ofthe reel, make previously known spindles and reels somewhatunsatisfactory even though modified as discussed above. For example, ithas been found unexpectedly that the increase in weight, due to theincrease in the size of the reel and the amount of film on the reel,increases the frictional resistance to movement of the reel on thespindle sleeve to the extent that the reel will not properly locateitself within the cartridge. Moreover, for numerous reasons, the spindleand/or the spindle sleeve may be tilted with respect to the projectorand cartridge walls to the extent that the reel flanges willfrictionally engage or even bind between opposite walls of thecartridge. This last mentioned effect is particularly apparent withweightsensitive spindles of the type described in commonly assigned US.Patent No. 3,310,251, issued Mar. 21, 1967, wherein the proper operationof the spindle may result in a tilting of the spindle from thehorizontal.

Summary of the invention An object of the present invention is toprovide means for mounting a reel on a projector adapted to operatesatisfactorily with cartridges containing reels having a capacity for200 or more of film.

In a disclosed embodiment of the invention, a reel supporting portion ofa projector spindle is mounted for axial as well as rotary movement withrespect to the projector surfaces. In this manner, the reel can moveaxially with such spindle portion in response to frictional forcesbetween the reel and cartridge to thereby center the reel Within thecartridge. In accordance with a further feature, a supply reel isprovided with a hub having a central opening that is tapered from agiven diameter at the center to a greater diameter at each of the outeredges, such that the reel can rock within the cartridge and assume avertical position aligned with the cartridge side-walls even though thespindle extends at an angle to the horizontal and said side-walls.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a front elevational view ofa cartridge-loading motion picture projector illustrating the manner inwhich a cartridge may be positioned on the projector.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge and a portion of theprojector of -FIG. 1 showing a spindle and reel in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the spindle and reel ofFIG. 2 showing the reel receiving portion of the spindle at an anglewith respect to the cartridge walls and the manner in which the reelcorrects for such angle.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the spindle and reel ofFIG. 2 showing the manner in which the reel is rotatably supported anddriven by said spindle.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the spindle and reel ofFIG. 2 showing the reel axially displaced within the cartridge and themanner in which the spindle is adapted to correct for such displacement.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now to the drawingsand particularly to FIG. 1, a cartridge-loading motion picture projectoris shown which may be of any suitable type such as the projectordescribed and illustrated in commonly assigned copending US. applicationSer. No. 685,616, entitled cinematographic Projectors or the Like andCartridges for Use Therewith, filed Nov. 24, 1967, in the name of John IBundschuh et al. Briefly, the projector comprises a casing 3 defining afront wall 5 adapted to support a supply cartridge 7 and a film take-upmeans such as reel 9. Cartridge 7 is adapted to contain a reel 11 ofmotion picture film and may be oriented and retained on the projector bycooperating surface formations on the cartridge and projector (notshown) and by latching surfaces on the cartridge and latching levers onthe projector (not shown). Suitable orienting and retaining means ofthis general type are disclosed, for example, in commonly assignedcopending US. Patent 3,394,901, entitled Automatic Latching Mechanismand Film Guide Arm for a Cartridge-Loading Motion Picture Projector,issued July 30, 1968, in the name of Leslie J. Bunting.

Movably secured to the front of the projector in accordance with thedisclosure of the aforementioned U.S. application Ser. No. 685,616 aremeans 13 and 15 for engaging and removing film F from the cartridge andfor directing the film to a threading mechanism of the projector whichautomatically feeds the film along a path to the take-up reel 9 in amanner well known to those skilled in the art. After projection in theusual manner, the film is rewound back into the cartridge by anautomatic rewind means such as the mechanism disclosed in commonlyassigned Patent No. 3,300,155, entitled Automatic Rewinding Mechanismfor Film or the Like, issued Jan. 24, 1967, in the name of R. J. Roman.

The cartridge 7 to be latched to the projector may be of any suitabletype, such as the two part casing adapted to contain a reel of 400-footcapacity such as described and illustrated in commonly assignedcopending US. Patent application Ser. No. 731,561, entitled Cartridge,filed May 23, 1968, in the name of John J. Bundschuh. Generally, thecartridge defines side-walls 17 and 19 having central openings 21 and23, respectively, through which the projector spindle 25 may extend.Previously mentioned latching and orienting surfaces (not shown) on thecartridge and projector are adapted to retain the cartridge in anaccurately located position flush against and parallel to vertical wall5 of the projector.

Referring now more particularly to features of the present invention andto FIGS. 25, a spindle 25 is disclosed comprising a rotatable portionsuch as elongated cylinder or sleeve 27 and an elongated member in theform of shaft 29. Shaft 29 passes through an opening 31 in the projectorfront wall 5 and is fixed to a spindle supporting means such as innerwall 33 of the projector. While disclosed in its simplest form, spindle25 may take any of several other forms without departing from thepresent invention, such as the form of the weight sensitive spindledisclosed in the aforementionsd US. Patent No. 3,310,251.

At one end of the spindle 25 and preferably behind the projector frontwall 5, the sleeve if provided with means for rotatably driving thespindle, taking the form in the disclosed embodiment of a pulley 35which is non-rotatably keyed to the sleeve by a key 37 on pulley 35received in a slot 39 on sleeve 27. Pulley 35 and sleeve 27 arerotatably driven by a motor (not shown) of the projector, which isoperably connected to the sleeve, such as by belt 30.

At the other end of the spindle remote from the projector the sleeve 27defines an external surface 41 adapted to support a reel 11 of processedmotion picture film F. The reel rotates with the spindle and isrotatably driven thereby through driving member or detent 43 (FIG. 4)which fits within a cooperating recess 45 in the core 47 of the reel.

Sleeve 27 also defines interior surfaces such as annular opening or bore49 having an internal diameter slightly larger than the externaldiameter of shaft '29. Thus the sleeve can be received on the shaft inthe usual manner for rotation with respect to the shaft and projector.However, in accordance with the present invention, the sleeve is mountednot only for such rotary movement, but also is mounted for axialmovement with respect to the shaft and projector. Such axial movement isprovided for in the disclosed embodiment by a pin '51 on sleeve 27 whichcooperates with a circular recess 52 on shaft 29. Pin 51 can moveaxially in recess 52 to permit axial movement of the sleeve 27. However,at the same time, the pin prevents excessive axial movement ordisengagement of the sleeve from the shaft.

Referring now to the function of such axial movement, as previouslymentioned it is desirably to satisfactory operation of acartridge-loading motion picture projector that the supply reel becentered between the cartridge walls to reduce the frictional contactbetween the reel and the cartridge. However, it has been found withreels of 200' or larger capacity that, due to the frictional resistanceto movement between the reel core and the outer surface of the spindle,the reel will not center itself adequately in the cartridge. Thisresistance to axial movement is due in part to the weight of the reeland film thereon and in part to the relatively high coeflicient offriction between the plastic surfaces of the reel and the spindle whichare not lubricated.

In accordance with the present invention, instead of relying entirely onaxial movement between the reel core and outer spindle surface, aportion of the spindle itself is adapted to move axially to center thereel in the cartridge. Since the movable portion of the spindle islubricated, the coefficient of friction between the relatively movablesurfaces of the spindle is much lower than the coefiicient of frictionbetween the reel core and the outer spindle surface. Moreover, asdisclosed, the axially movable portion of the spindle is preferably thesame as the rotatable portion thereof, and such portion will always bein motion during operation of the projector. Therefore only the dynamiccoefficient of friction need be overcome to shift the spindle sleeve andreel axially, rather than the greater static coefficient of frictionwhich must be overcome with previously known spindles.

The amount of axial movement desirable for satisfactory operationdepends on the dimensions and clearances of and between the particularreel and cartridge. Preferably, the reel supporting portion of thespindle should be capable of sutficient axial shifting for the reel tomove freely between the sides of the cartridge. In the embodimentdisclosed the permissible axial shifting is at least .05 inch and ispreferably .1 of an inch.

Reel 11 adapted to be contained in cartridge 7 comprises a hub 54 havingan annular outer surface 53 on which film is adapted to be wound and aninner surface 55. A pair of spaced side flanges 57 and 59 extendradially outwardly from hub 54 to guide successive convolutions of filmonto the hub when the reel is first loaded with film or during a rewindcycle of the projector. A web 61 extends radially inwardly from the huband supports a core 47 coaxially therewith for mounting the reel on theprojector spindle 17.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention, core 47 of reel11 comprises a central opening or bore 65 having an internal diameter atthe axial center which is less than the diameter at the ends of thebore. In the embodiment disclosed, the bore defines ti wo opposedfrusto-conical openings tapered toward the axial center of the reel to adiameter which is slightly larger than the outer diameter of theprojector spindle. While the degree of taper may be any suitable amountfor the intended .purpose to be described more fully hereinafter, ataper within the range of 2-7 and preferably about 5 has been foundsatisfactory.

Referring now to the function of this feature of the invention, andparticularly to FIG. 3, the reel supporting surfaces of the spindle havebeen shown at an angle to the horizontal and out of alignment with theperpendicular to the projector wall. Such misalignment can occur for anynumber of reasons, such as poor manufacturing tolerances or wear betweenthe rotatable and fixed portions of the spindle. Thus, the misalignmentmay be between the shaft 29 and the projector wall 5 or between thesleeve 27 and the shaft 29. Moreover, inweight sensitive spindles of thepreviously mentioned type disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,310,251, acertain amount of off-axis bending is expected during normal operationof the spindle.

In projectors which operate only with unenclosed reels, and even inprojectors adapted to operate with certain smaller size cartridges, thismisalignment of the spindle is not intolerable. However, in projectorsadapted to operate with the larger cartridge sizes, such as 200 or 400-foot cartridges, any misalignment of the spindle is exaggerated due tothe large diameter of the reel in'such cartridges. Since the reel isclosely confined within the cartridge, even a small amount ofmisalignment of the spindle will cause previously known reels tofrictionally engage the side-walls of these larger cartridges.

In accordance with the present invention, wherein the reel core isprovided with a tapered or arcuate bore, the reel can wobble on thespindle or assume an angular position on the spindle as shown on FIG. 3,to thereby properly align itself within the cartridge in response tofrictional and other forces between the cartridge and reel, regardlessof the angular orientation or misalignment of the spindle.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference topreferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variationsand modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of theinvention as described hereinabove.

I claim:

1. A reel adapted to be mounted on a spindle of a motion pictureprojector for rotatably supporting a roll of film on the projector, saidreel comprising: means defining a surface for supporting film woundthereon; and a core integral with said film support surface means andadapted to receive a spindle, said core defining an axial bore having aspindle-engaging surface intermediate the ends thereof, saidintermediate surface having a diameter less than the diameters of theends of said bore.

2. A reel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bore has first and secondportions of tapering diameter extending from said intermediate surfaceto the ends of said bore respectively.

3. A reel as claimed in claim 2 wherein the surfaces of said first andsecond portions are inclined at angles of at least 2 relative to theaxis of said bore.

4. A reel adapted to be mounted on a spindle of a motion pictureprojector for rotation within a cartridge adapted to enclose the reel,said reel comprising: means defining a surface for supporting film woundthereon; and a core integral with said film support surface means, saidcore defining an axial bore for receiving a spindle, said bore havingfirst and second portions of tapering diameter extending from anintermediate surface to the ends of the bore, said intermediate surfacehaving a diameter less than the diameters of the ends of the bore topermit the reel to be tiltably supported within a cartridge on a spindleby engagement of the intermediate surface with the spindle, whereby thereel can tilt relative to the spindle axis to align itself within thecartridge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,104,848 9/1963 Joffe.

NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primary Examiner

